But the main reason for their success all dates back to the day in the spring of 1997 when they won the draft lottery and the right to select Duncan with the No. 1 pick. They haven’t lost 30 games in a season since.

“He hasn’t changed a lick, very honestly,” Popovich said. “He’s exactly the same person that I laid on the sand with down in St. Croix when we drafted him, and we talked basketball and tried to figure out who each other was and what we were thinking and what the future might hold, just to see if we got along or see if we clicked at all.

“He’s basically an introverted, quite humorous, highly intelligent, easygoing guy, who has gotten over himself. He’s not that impressed with himself. He just likes playing ball and he goes home and does whatever he does. That’s him.”

Duncan won’t turn 30 until next year’s playoffs, while Ginobili is an All-Star at 27 and Parker is only 23.

The Pistons’ core also is relatively young, with three 30-year-olds who were born within 10 days of each other in 1974 — Antonio McDyess and the two Wallaces — all but certain to spend the next several years of their careers in Detroit.

Billups is 28, and Hamilton is 27.

The credit for assembling the Pistons’ roster goes to Dumars, whose most notorious personnel move — selecting Darko Milicic rather that Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh with the overall No. 2 pick in 2003 — was certainly not his best.

He acquired Hamilton from the Washington Wizards when Michael Jordan was running that franchise, swapping Jerry Stackhouse, and Dumars also made a brilliant move when Grant Hill decided to leave as a free agent in 1999, convincing the Orlando Magic at the last minute to execute a sign-and-trade deal that brought Ben Wallace to Detroit.

All Wallace has done since then was win three defensive player of the year awards, while Hill has spent the vast majority of his time in Orlando recovering from numerous operations to his ankle.

More news

Jim Rogash / Getty Images

Not in his house

Rajon Rondo had 18 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 85-75 in Game 7 on Saturday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

CSN: Rondo's big-game DNA shines  |  Highlights

CSN: You may not see it from start to finish, but when the game — or in this case, postseason life — is on the line, you see just how good Rajon Rondo can be.

Headlines

• Label

CSN: Surgery ends season for Celtics' Bradley

SportsTalk: Do Heat actually want Celtics?

PBT: Spoelstra fined $25K for criticizing officials

PBT: Knicks give Woodson multiyear extension

PBT: Knicks' J.R. Smith arrested in South Beach

PBT Extra: Can young Thunder stun Spurs?

PBT: How do Thunder deal with Spurs' Parker?

PBT: As The Magic Turn — no decision on Howard